Golf – Bryson DeChambeau prevailed in a playoff for the second straight week yesterday, defeating Jon Rahm on the first hole of the extra session at LIV Golf South Africa in Johannesburg.
DeChambeau, who also won a playoff last Sunday at LIV Golf Singapore, scrambled to save par on the final hole to force a playoff. After his drive on the first playoff hole (No. 18) went left and landed in water from an earlier driving rain, DeChambeau was granted relief and used a fairway wood to hit the ball roughly 12 feet from the pin at The Club at Steyn City for a try at an eagle.
Rahm’s second shot landed in the bunker in front of the green, and his third shot left him with a 15-foot birdie putt. When it didn’t fall, DeChambeau had the luxury of a two-putt for a birdie on the par-5 hole and a win.
DeChambeau finished his bogey-free round at 5-under-par 66 yesterday and 26-under 258 for the tournament.
By winning his fifth LIV Golf title, DeChambeau pocketed $4 million for winning the inaugural event in South Africa. The two-time US Open winner also claimed his share of $3m more after his quartet, the Crushers, won the team event by defeating South Africa’s Southern Guards by a single shot with 76 under-par.
“A lot has happened in the past week,” an emotional DeChambeau said without elaborating.
“I’m just so grateful for my team, the Crushers, everybody supporting me. It’s so funny, golf is a fickle game, and you work so hard at it your whole entire life, and you realise that golf is just golf and there’s a lot more to life than just golf.
“I had some things happen in the off time during this week, and I was just praying all day, praying to give me the perseverance to move forward and keep looking forward.”
The Crushers, who consist of DeChambeau, Anirban Lahiri, Paul Casey and Charles Howell III, became the winningest team in LIV Golf after the victory yesterday. Southern Guards, made up of four South Africans, could not hole a nine-shot lead they had on the front nine to win the team title.
“That’s pretty awesome,” Howell said of the victory and the record ninth title. “Well, we’re also the only team that’s stayed together for the whole time. We’ve never split up. It’s been us. Just how about the golf there by Bryson again. That was pretty special golf.”
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